The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-10-13
CARRIER PIGEONS.
How They Are Utilized By Some
New York Brokers.
Trained to Garry Messages to
Brokers' Country Homes.

ooh, yes, several we'll known men in
the street use carrier pigeons to bring
them messages to their country homes"
said Alfred dc Cordova to reporter the
other day. "rll tell you how trained
my birds to bring the stock quotations
to my country place, Cheetolah, two
miles from the station at North Branch,
N. ]. About three years ago I bought
four pair of 'squcelers.' or squads, took
them down to the country and made
them comfortable coop. The birds
were kept confined, but we'll fed and
looked after for three weeks, when the
window Of their home was opened for
them in order that they might go in and
out at pleasure.
The first thing they did was to so
to the window and look out; next
they would hop about until they were a
foot from their room. They recon-
noitcred and carefully observed every
thing, and then they went in again. In
few minutes they would come out once
moro and, l could clearly see, with
greater assurance. They flew on the
roof, picked themselves, and played
around till night time, when they went
back, each to the identical place where
it had been accustomed to roost.
After several days, as soon es the
birds were certain that they would not
he molested, they commenced to take
observations of my place, and, having
thoroughly satisfied themselves that they
were at home, they few aroundin larger
circles for mile or two.
The next step was to take them on
short trips, l would put the pigeons in a
large basket with the lid down, take
them half mile from their coop, and
libelate them. They would fly straight
up into the air, circle around, and then
point right for home. The uext fly of
the birds would be about mile, then two
miles, four miles, ten miles, and fifteen
miles. I trained them by stages until
they flew twenty, thirty, fifty seventy
five, and one hundred and twenty-five
miles.
After that found no training was
necessary. If bird does not get lost
while undergoing this schooling it is
just as apt 10 fly 800 miles without being
lost. finally brought my reliable birds
to my office in New York and sent them
back to my farm in North Branch. The
distance is some orty-three miles, but
they arrived snfe and sound
Since then l have frequently RENAME d
at the farm and sent my birds to the
office by the porter of the train, and dur
ing the day my clerk sent bird after
bird back to me with half-hourly quota
tions attached to its tail The time the
birds take to deliver their messages from
Wall street to Cheetoiah is from fifty
minutes to one hour and twenty minutes.
Before l had the birds I found that 6
telegram from New York would take
two hours time to reach nc, and Longer
if the operators were just at their lunch
or engaged in Irritation.
''My pigeon lofts are divided into tho
breeding aud the working section.
have attached an electric wire from my
working loft to my house. So the mo
ment bird comes home from Wal
street and tries to get in at tho window
Of thH cot it rings an electric bell in thu
house and I go over and get the mes
sage.
a have had some queer experience
with carrier pigeons. Their ways are a
hard to predict as the weather. Bird
that have repeatedly flown from $50 t.
$50 miles have failed to return home il
practice flies of fifty to sixty miles.
have known birds to be as long as
month from home and then suddcnl,
turn up as serencly as though there hat
been nothing unusual about their trip.
i New York Sun.